The Price of Betrayal: Bankrupting My Billionaire Husband Chapter 2

The moment the car door slammed shut, I turned on him.

"Julian. Explain."

He started sweating, his voice frantic.

"Tori, it is strictly platonic! She’s just a kid from a poor village. I was moved by her grit and determination. I just wanted to help her succeed!"

I laughed, cold and sharp.

"She’s in college, Julian. She has hands and feet. She can work."

"From next month, you will pay her tuition only. No living allowance. No luxury gifts."

"I will contact the Dean and get her a job at the campus library. It won't interfere with her studies."

I stared him down, laying out the law.

"You will cut all personal contact. No texts, no dinners. The scholarship money goes through the school's finance department, not your personal Venmo."

"And," I leaned in closer, "get my things back. The dress, the necklace, the bags. I don't care if you 'gave' them to her."

"Lily Harper is a scholarship student, not a sugar baby waiting to be pampered."

Julian turned red, then pale. Finally, he nodded, defeated.

Our marriage was a business arrangement. The Sterling family needed the Vance family's connections to enter the top tier of society. He was the perfect, gentle husband, and I was the powerful partner. We had a good run, even love, for a few years.

I accepted that passion fades, but I have zero tolerance for betrayal.

The next day, Julian brought everything back.

My dress and necklace were returned in a velvet box, placed carefully on my vanity.

"Tori, I made it clear to her. We’re done. No more contact," he swore, raising his hand like a boy scout.

I accepted his submission and let it go.

But the moment he left for work, my phone pinged. A friend request.

Lily Harper.

I accepted, thinking she wanted to discuss the scholarship.

Before I could type "Hello," a wall of text hit me.

[Lily]: Ms. Vance, for a trophy wife who just spends her husband's money, don't you think you're controlling?

[Lily]: What gives you the right to take back his gifts?

[Lily]: Julian bought them with his money. They belong to him. He can give them to whoever he wants.

[Lily]: Bullying a broke student... is that what gives a CEO's wife a power trip?

I read the messages and smirked. Not a white lotus after all. A viper.

I typed back slowly.

[Me]: Julian and I have a prenup and shared assets. His money is my money. But every cent he spent on you? That’s marital misconduct.

[Me]: I can sue you for return of property and fraud. I can have you expelled and in debt before lunch.

[Me]: Miss Harper, check your attitude. You're a charity case, not a rival.

[Me]: I'll let this slide once because you're young and stupid. Cross me again, and I pull your funding and your campus job.

The chat went silent.

I didn't care. I've seen a dozen girls like her. They want a shortcut to the penthouse. They usually end up in the basement.

Just then, my phone rang. My dad.